Wrinkle minimization is the Holy Grail of cosmetic actives development. Since the creation of the first anti-aging formulations, the topic has been explored from every angle.
The easiest way is of course to cover the skin with foundations to hide those unattractive features of skin ageing. But besides this use of camouflage, there is more which can be done. To understand how to improve or preserve the youthful appearance of the skin we need to know about its underlying biology.
The skin is composed basically of three layers: the subcutaneous adipose tissue, the dermis and the epidermis, which protects the body from the environment. Wrinkles only develop in the dermis and epidermis. Because of this, it is important to keep these tissues in a juvenile state.
The dermis is a very strong and resilient tissue, which is responsible for the skin’s firmness and elasticity as well as its hydration. You can think of it in terms of a piece of leather as that is what it actually is; a tightly packed protein mesh consisting mainly of collagen,1 which is responsible for the firmness together with elastin, which is responsible for the elasticity. This tissue is supplemented by moisture-retaining molecules such as hyaluronic acid and proteoglycans.
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